Indicator



Feb. 24, 1942. L. J. FIGHTER INDICATOR Filed July 27, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 L560 600 700 900 [/00 I300 I590 Feb. 24, 1942. FlcHTER 2,273,946

INDICATOR Filed July 27, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y may? 92 BB Gttornegs Feb. 24, 1942. L. J. FIGHTER 2,273,946

INDICATOR Filed July 27, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 I I Z'mnefitor [x1229 Gib/12% Feb. 24, 1942. J HCHTER 2,273,946

INDICATOR Filed (July 27, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 inventor Patented Feb. 24, 1942 porationof Delaware Application July 2l,1939, .SerialNo..286,806

4 Claims.

nisms and more specifically 'to means for indicating the position of certain apparatus whose setting is altered for tuningradio apparatus.

With the increased use of longitudinally actuated.

push buttons to automaticallytune a receiverv to given stations and the use of such equipment.

in automotive vehicles, certain problems have arisen. It is desired to keep the force required to actuate the push button to a minimum and.

at the same time move the indicator over a sub-- stantial distance. This distance is necessary for several reasons: First it giveseasier station separation since the identifying: marksare more."

widely separated, and, secondly, in automotive installation is provides a died that will tone in with the other instrumentsofthe car. latter respectit is advantageous toiuse astraight line dial as it blends in withthe present type instruments and in additionlends itself. bestto All can instruments are a row of push buttons.

In this now kept insubstantially a single lane so-there will be no projecting means for safety of the passengers.

It is therefore an object of my invention to.

provide indicating mechanismthat maybe oper:-f

of energy.

It is a further object of my invention to provide. indicating means that shall. travel over subated over a substantial distance with a minimum the following. specification and. claims whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings,. in;

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the general appearance of the outside of an automotive radio receiver.

Figure 2 ma. top plan view of theindicating;

mechanism, parts being broken away'and taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partialsection taken on lined-3 of Figure 1 with parts broken away. Figure 4 is a top plan View similar to Figure 2 of a modified form of my invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional View takenon line. 55

of Figure 4. z t

Figure 6 is a top plan view similar tov Figure 2 ofaa further modified form of my invention.

Figure 7 is a. partial sectionalview taken on line'll'ofFigure 6. I. l

. (01, This invention relates to indicating mocha- 3 shown in Figures 1-3.

Figure 8 is a sectional view siinilar'togF-igure'l showing a modified form of connection;

Figure 9 is a vertical section. showing: a'modifiedy form of connection for the general form.

Figure 10 is an. enlarged detailed sectional view showing one form of universal connection. a Figure. 11 is a sectional view taken on i l--ll of Figure 10. p

Figure 12' is a detailed sectional view showing a further form of universalv connection. -The general form of these radio receivers has been that shown substantially in, Figure 1 in which the dial face, which either projects through the instrument panel of a vehicleior is supported so that it will show below the instrument panel, is as indicated; at 2. This-is of courseroughlyrectangular and has openings'for certain control shafts 4 and 6 at'the lower portion and.

line

a rectangular cutout portion shownv at .8 through which the tuning scale It and theindicating pointer l2 are visible. In the'morerecent sets. of course there are also the push buttons Hi which turn the set to a series of preselected stations. 1

Since the visible face is substantially fiat the pointer [2 must move the full widthof the scale between the apparatus mounted. to the rear thereof and the glass front which limits. it to substantially a straight line. Also, since the cas-H ingat this point is comparatively shallow, it is necessary to design the means for operating the pointer so that it will fit within a thin opening.

One form of accomplishingthis drive is shown:

in Figures 2 and 3 and in this case a. shaft" It,

projects from the housing [8 which enclosesthe tuning means which may be condensers, said shaft having secured thereto a lever 29 which carries at its outerv end a smallpin 22- which projects through a flange 24 on the end of a connecting lever 26. As is best shown in FigureZ; the pin 22 has a reduced neck portion 28 which. has some axial distance, this ,portionlbeingltha't whichengages the opening in theflang-e 24. This axial distance on the pin neck allows the-lever. 26 to move longitudinally about the pin 22-to; some extent togive some amount of universal: motion. The opposite end of the lever 26 is secured in a similar manner to one end of a connecting pin 30 which also has a reduced'portion:

3'2for the opening in the lever 26 andthis reducedportion is again slightly longer axially than the thickness of the lever to provide for some play.-

The opposite end of the pin 30is rigidly connested-to a. bell crank lever 34, the latter being.

pivoted at 36 to the housing IS. The other angular arm of the bell crank 34 is connected through a wire rod 38 to a long lever 49 by extending through openings 42 and 44 in the lever 48 and the end of the bell crank arm respectively. The lever 46 has at one end a long U -shaped slot 48 cut therein and this is adapted to slide in a groove 48 in a supporting pin which is rigidly connected to the top of the casing 52. This groove 48 is annular and so as the lever 48 swings about the pivot 56 it may reciprocate with respect thereto due to the annular slot 48 and the U-shaped slot 46 on the end of the lever. Rigidly connected to the lever 48 ahead of the connection 42 to the rod 38 is a small pin 54 which is provided near its upper end with an annular groove 56 which is adapted to slide in an arcuate slot 58 provided in the upper surface of the casing 52. This is best shown in Figure 2.

Rigidly secured to and in alignment with the axis of the lever 4|] near itsfront end is a small wire 60 which actually carries and-is a part of the indicating needle I2. From this construction it is evident that as the lever 48 is forced, let us say, to the left in Figure 2, that the cam action of the annular groove 56 in the pin '54 with the slot 58 will cause the lever 49 to move slightly to the rear as it swings to the left. Therefore the indicating pointer I2 instead of prescribing an arc about the axis of the pin 58 will be drawn to the rear sufiiciently by the camming action to cause it to maintain a substantially straight line across the dial plate. Two other positions of the pointer are shown by dotted lines on Figure 2. Of course the function of the bell crank and various connecting levers is merely to translate the rotary motion of the shaft I6 into a force causing the arm 38 to force the lever 48 back and forth, depending upon the position of the tuning shaft and a sufficient amount of play is put in certain connecting joints to take care of any misalignment of theparts at particular positions.

In some instances where it may be possible to remove portions of the apparatus which normally project in the way of certain mechanical motion it may be possible to eliminate the lever 26 and bell crank 34 and to extend the wire rod 38, as shown at 38, directly to the end of the rotating lever 29, as shown in Figure 9, and in this instance this would considerably simplify the connecting lever arrangement. It may also be possible to substitute a flexible cable or cord having either a double or single way drive with a spring without departing from the essence of my invention.

Amodified form of this general construction is shown in Figures 4 and 5 and in this instance the housing I8, shaft I6, lever 20, lever 26, bell crank 34 and connecting link 38 are identical with those same parts asshown in Figures 2 and 3. However, in this instance the lever 48 has been altered, as shown at 49, to have a slightly different slidable connection at the rear, A U- shaped slot 46' is again provided but in this instance a short vertical pin 62 pivotally carries an elongated oval member 64 which has a groove 68 running entirely around the edge and in this groove are adapted to slide the two ends of the lever 48'. Also, instead of providing a cam and slot arrangement as in Figure 2, a lever 68 pivotally supported at to the upper surface of the casing I8 is provided which is pivotally secured to the lever 46' at I2. Thus as the lever 49' is forced to the left as shown in Figure 4, the lever 68 rotating about its pivot I0 would force the lever 40' toward the rear and maintain the indicator I2 in substantially straight line movement.

There are certain instances in which instead of rotating a shaft to vary the position of variable condensers for radio tuning that the inductance of certain parts is changed for tuning by moving a core within a coil. When this type of construction is used a design as shown in Figures 6 and 7 may be utilized for indicating. In this case a housing I6 is provided in which there are spaced vertical members I8 of insulating material which carry a rotatable shaft 80. Secured to this shaft at a point intermediate their ends are a plurality of arms 82, one end of which is pivotally connected tolinks 84 the opposite ends of which are connected directly to reciprocating cores 86 which are adapted to be variably positioned within coils 88 for tuning purposes. There are usually a number of these coil assemblies in a single set, the number depending upon the size and value thereof, but only one is shown and described as the rest are mere duplicates. Therefore as the shaft is rotated the cores will be Withdrawn or forced within the coils and the set tuned.

Rigidly secured to the outer end of the shaft 80 is a lever 98 and to the rotating outer end of the lever 90 is connected a link 92 through a similar universal connection 94 as that described in the previous constructions. The end of the link 92 is pivotally connected to a bell crank 98 which is itself pivoted on pin 91 which is supported from the upper wall of the casing I6, and the opposite leg of the bell crank is in turn connected to a long lever 98, the inner end of which is slotted as at I98 to engage an annular groove I82 in a supporting pin I64 substantially the same as the construction shown in Figure 2. The forward end of the lever 98 as before carries a wire rod I98 and supports the indicator I2. Stretched between the lever 98 and the lever 98 is a tension spring I08 for maintaining the two in juxtaposition and taking up any lost motion between parts, Thus as the shaft 89 is turned and the lever 9!] moved back and forth through approximately 60 the bell crank will be rotated about its pivot 91 through the link 92 and the indicator I2 will be moved back and forth across the forward face of the housing in substantially.

a straight line.

As before mentioned, when this type of tuning just described is utilized it is only necessary to move the shaft through approximately 60 angular degrees to obtain a full tuning range. However, when condensers are used with this design it might be necessary to rotate the shaft carrying said condensers through approximately and in this instance it is necessary to alter the design slightly as shown in Figure 8. In this instance the shaft III] is adapted or designed to rotate through substantially 180 as shown by the dotted line position. A lever H2 is secured thereto as in previous instances and the lever 92 is replaced by a similar lever I I4 having a longer vertical extension II6, the opposite end is however still connected to one end of the bell crank 96 through a lost motion or universal connection I I8 similar to those already described; otherwise the construction is the same as that shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate one form of lost motion or universal joint as used in the above constructions and in this instance a lever such as 96 is shown rigidly supporting a stud I20 which has a reduced portion I22 and then there is forced upon the reduced portion a small washer I24. Between the washer I24 and the shoulder there is carried the end of a second lever such as I I 4 which it is desired to pivotally connect to the member 96, said lever I I4 having an hexagonal opening'.l26 therein so that the two levers may have a certain degree of universal motion. The washer I24 is spaced a sufiicient distance from the lever H4 so that this movement is possible and the shoulder I 28 is tapered to also provide for this movement.

A similar construction is shown in Figure 12 where a lever such as 96 may have an angled bracket I30 riveted thereto to provide a space between the angled end and the lever, both having aligned openings such as I32 and. I34 therein to frictionally support a ball such as I36. The lever to which the first lever is to be universally joined such as I I I would be then provided with an opening I38 within which the ball might rest and the snap friction between the angled bracket I30 and the lever 96 would then hold the ball in place and provide the desired universal movement. It will also be evident that by varying the cam contour that the indicating needle may be made to follow any other desired path than a straight one if the requirements call for such.

I claim:

1. In a tuning indicator for automobile radio receivers, a housing, a fixed pivot, a lever having an elongated, slot therein mounted on the pivot whereby the lever may have both rotational and reciprocable motion with respect to the pivot in a plane adjacent a side of said housing, a pin rigidly connected to the lever, cam means cooperating with the pin to reciprocate the lever as it is rotated, means for rotating said lever, said means comprising a rotatable shaft and a linkage connecting said shaft to said lever.

2. In a tuning indicator for automobile radio receivers, a housing, a pivot carried thereby, a lever having a slot therein carried on the pivot for both rotation about and reciprocation with respect thereto in a plane adjacent a side of said housing, a scale carried by the housing, a pointer carried by the lever and adapted to move in juxtaposition tothe scale, a pin rigidly secured to the lever, said housing having an arcuate cam slot therein in which said pin travels to provide reciprocation of the lever as it is swung about its pivot whereby the pointer travels in substantially a. straight line.

3. In a tuning indicator for automobile radio receivers, a housing, a pivot carried thereby, a lever having a slot therein carried on the pivot for both rotation about and reciprocation with respect thereto in a plane adjacent a side of said housing, a scale carried by the housing, a pointer carried by the lever. and adapted to move in juxtaposition to the scale, a pin rigidly secured to the lever, said housing having an arcuate cam slot therein in which said pin travels to provide reciprocation of the lever as it is swung about its pivot whereby the pointer travels in substantially a straight line, a rotatable control shaft mounted in the housing, a mechanical interlinkage connected between the shaft and the lever to transmit the rotary motion of the former to forc the latter about its pivot.

4. In a tuning indicator for automobile radio receivers, a housing, a pivot carried thereby, a lever having a slot therein carried on the pivot for both rotation about and reciprocation with respect thereto in a plane adjacent a side of said housing, a scale carried by the housing, a pointer carried by the lever and adapted to move in juxtaposition to the scale, a pin rigidly secured to the lever, said housing having an arcuate cam slot therein in which said pin travels to provide reciprocation of the lever as it is swung about its pivot whereby the pointer travels in substantially a straight line, a rotatable control shaft mounted in the housing, a mechanical interlinkage connected between the shaft and the lever to transmit the rotary motion of the former to force the latter about its pivot and at least one universal joint connection in the interlinkage. LUDWIG J. FIGHTER. 

